Elsword - Hamel Academy First Year
by xCyrusx
Summary: Hamel Academy; A school for those who want to improve their combat skills while also getting their studies in. Elsword is a new student here who hopes to improve his ability of being a Rune Slayer. Join Elsword as he makes new friends and discovers his true potential.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hamel Academy: Freshman Year_**

_Main Characters:_

Elsword: Rune Slayer

Aisha: Battle Magician

Rena: Trapping Ranger

Raven: Veteran Commander

Eve: Code Electra

Chung: Deadly Chaser

Ara: Little Xia

**_Chapter one: New Friends and a New Year_**

The alarm clock goes off, telling me it's time to get up. The noise is annoying in the morning, but I'm probably only going to use it this once. That is, because, today is the first of school and I don't want to be late. I crawl out of bed and begin my day. I take a quick shower to not only clean myself, but also make sure I'm fully awake. Next I go to brush my teeth. No one likes a dirty mouth, let alone stinky breath. Then I fix my hair. I like my usual look way more than my bed-head. Last I put on the uniform. It's navy blue and doesn't quite match my red hair, but oh well, can't complain really.

It's a short walk from the dorm to the school. Although there are few things here and there, I'm not really paying attention to it.

~In the locker room~

During orientation, the teachers gave us a card which had our classroom number, locker number, and dorm room number. I pull the card out of my pocket and look at the numbers.

'_Let's see… locker 194_' I think as I look around. When I spot the locker with the same number, I see a girl with long white hair. She closes her locker and walks away. '_It seems that's one of my locker neighbors_.' I open the locker and put everything I'm going to need for the day on the little self in there and leave the rest in my bag. I then slide my iPod out as well and put it in my pocket. '_Sitting in homeroom and waiting is gonna be boring. Might as well do something._' I close my locker door and proceed to homeroom.

~In homeroom~

I was the first student to arrive in homeroom, just as I figured I would. The teacher was also in there, however she was on the phone and writing something down. She notices my presences and points to a piece of paper tapped to the board. It showed the names of the students at certain spots. My seat was the second to back window seat. I set my books down on the desk, slide into my chair and take out my iPod and headphones. I put the headphones in and began to scroll through my songs. In the end, I just pick shuffle and look out the window. About two minutes into the song, I fell a tap on my shoulder. A girl with purple hair was standing over me pouting. I take my headphones off and look at her in confusion.

"Can I help you?" I ask as she stands there, glaring down at me.

"I've been talking to you for the past minute" she replies with a huff. I lift up my hands, revealing the wire to the headphones and iPod.

"I had headphones in before you talked to me. It's not like I was trying to ignore you purposely." I pause the song, put away both the iPod and headphones, and then look back at her.

"Sorry, my mistake." She sat down in the seat next to me. "My name is Aisha; it's nice to meet you." She smiles at me as she holds out her hand. I take her hand and shake it.

"Same here, I'm Elsword." She lets go and looks toward the front of the room as more students begin filling in. One girl walks in seconds before the others. She has long black hair which is tied in different ways, brownish yellow eyes and was about my height. Maybe about two or three inches taller, but still close. She walks over and sits in front of Aisha, but doesn't say a word. Aisha decides to get her attention and spark up a conversation.

"Hi there, I'm Aisha" she greets her. The girl turns around with a shy expression.

"Um… H-hi there. I'm Ara…" she replies. I could tell just by her speech pattern that she's nervous. I decide to cut into the conversation to try and lighten her mood.

"No need to be nervous, it'll be fine" I add, trying to encourage her not to be afraid. It seems, however, to backfire on me as she looks down blushing. Yup, I embarrassed her alright.

"Yeah… you're not helping" Aisha says.

"My mistake. I'm Elsword by the way, nice to meet you Ara." She looks up and nods shyly. She must be nervous from the whole switching schools thing. I'm sure she'll get over it in a few days. "So what class are you gals?"

"I am a Battle Magician. Once I'm qualified, I can become a Dimension Witch."

"Little Xia. I want to become a Little Hsien. W-what about you?" Ara replies.

"Rune Slayer" I say. They both gasp at that. Was something wrong with this class? "Eh? Is… something wrong with that?"

"Rune Slayers… aren't most of them deceased?" Well it's true that there aren't many Rune Slayers in the world, but I don't think they're dead. Though it may be because of how hard it is to become a Rune Slayer. It isn't as easy as other classes. You have to be sure your body can handle making and maintaining runes. Once that's done, it's a matter of finding your element. Most Rune Slayers only have one element; however I've managed to gain two. Fire, which came from my days as a Magic Knight, and Ice, which came from me over extending my training, but with great results.

"It isn't that they're deceased, it's a matter of the process for them becoming one. Only those that can truly handle it can become a Rune Slayer. Those that can't either move to another class or keep trying." Ara nods, understanding the Rune Slayers. We all look up as we heard an "Ahem!" It was the teacher getting our attention. Guess we've been talking for too long.

"Hello class and welcome to Hamel Academy. I am your teacher; you may call me Ms. Lucy. I will now begin handing out your schedule for your school year" she says as she gets some papers and gives them to the assigned student. When I got mine, I look it over.

'_Let's see… Algebra, English, Study Hall, Lunch, Global for Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Biology, Study Hall, Lunch and P.E for Tuesday and Thursday._" I tap on both Aisha and Ara's shoulder. "Hey, what class do y'all have?"

"Let me see your schedule, it'll be easier that way." Aisha replies. I hand her my schedule as she examines it while Ara looks from above. "We don't have English and Biology together. What about you Ara?"

"Um… I have the same ones as you Elsword" she says. Aisha pouts.

"I wish I was with you two. Now I'll be in a class with people I don't know."

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll meet some new friends. And plus, that's the only two classes we don't all have together, so no big deal. Now if it was ALL our classes, we'd have a problem" I add. They nod in agreement and we all look back at front of the class.

~Lunch~

I grab my things and head out of class with Ara and Aisha with me. It was now time for lunch, meaning we can go outside and get some fresh air since it's hot out. Lunch inside is only for when it's cold, raining, or snowing outside. "So, you two liking you classes?"

"They're alright, though Study Hall is boring. That teacher doesn't even want to hear the sound of breathing!" Aisha replies. Our Study Hall teacher, Ms. Stella, is very strict on us making any type of noise. It's kind of cruel actually.

"I-I agree. We should at least be able to whisper" Ara adds. Aisha nods at her and I just laugh silently as we reach the lunchroom.

It didn't take long for us to get to the lunchroom. That wasn't the problem though. The problem was where we're going to sit. There was nowhere to sit! Tables were filled all around with most girls surrounding one.

"Um… There's a free table over there" Aisha pointes out. We decide to sit there, though we need a table we're sure to stay at without scrambling to get one. However, we haven't the slightest clue as to where. Sure, there are plenty of tables around, but there are also a lot of students that have lunch at this time, which makes this harder. Sitting in a classroom and eating is fine, but who wants to do that…?

I clap my hands together. I finally know where we're going to sit. The girls look at me. "I think I know where we're going to sit at" I tell them. "How about the roof? I'm sure the teachers won't mind it there. I mean, it's only us three and we're only gonna being there during lunch, so why not? "

"You're right. it'll only be us three and that's during lunch. Besides, it's less public up there, so none of the other students will bother us" Aisha agrees. Ara nods showing she agrees and it was decided. Tomorrow, we'll go and ask the teachers if it was okay to be up there. We continue to eat our lunch while making small talk.

~After School~

I go to the locker assigned to me. Locker 194. Not much in here, though I guess that's how it is when you first start school. I put my things in my bag, sling it over my shoulder, lock my locker then leave the school. While walking back to the dorm, I begin to look at the sky. It causes me to, for some reason, think about the school day. Not bad honestly. I actually look forward to going there tomorrow.

**End of Chapter one. More chapters shall come soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter two: The Sparring Room is now Open_**

I wake up and go through my usual morning routine; Get up, do hair, dress self, get bag and head out. Nothing really major but eh. Walking out of my room, I see a blonde haired boy running this way. He seems to be in a hurry so I step aside as he runs by and then continue my way to school. On my way out, I hear a familiar voice.

"Hi Elsword!" I hear Aisha say as I turn around to see her.

"Hey Aisha" I reply. I hadn't noticed it yesterday, but we're all in the same dorm building. Maybe it was due to me focusing on the first day or something. "I see you're up early this morning."

"Yup, I figured since it was the second day, people are gonna begin coming in late. It's sad to think that way but it's true." She has the right idea. This type of thing happened at my old school, where people would show up early the first day then come late the next day. "So, would you like to-"

"Aisha!" a girl yells as she runs up to the both of us. Long blonde hair, green eyes and pointy ears. She must be an elf. "I've been looking for you. We have some things to dis… cuss. Um, hi there." She looked at me with a sense of confusion but with a playful smile.

"I guess it's time for you two to meet. Rena, meet Elsword. Elsword, Rena" Aisha introduces us. I stick out my hand which she shakes and winks at me.

"It's nice to meet you Elsword. I hope we become great friends" Rena says. I nod in agreement to her statement. "Well, we have to go discuss some important matters. See you at school!" Both of them run off and I chuckle. Though part of me does wonder what it is they're discussing, I continue my way to school.

~At the Locker room~

I take the books for class out of my bag and throw my bag into the locker. I won't need this till the end of school. After closing my locker, I notice that same blonde kid from the dorm building. He walks over to me and starts talking.

"Hey, you're Elsword right?" He asks. Clearly there's something going on, and it has something to do with me.

"Yeah and why'd you need to know?" I ask. That didn't seem like the right approach to the question, but oh well.

"You're my sparring partner today. I just came by to see who you were." '_Sparring partner? Since when did I pick him as my sparring partner?_' The bell rings, interrupting me from my thoughts and signalling that we'd better get to class. "That's the bell. See you during lunch. Our match is scheduled then." He runs off and I sigh. I don't know what was going on with this sparring partner stuff ,but now isn't the time to wonder about it. I can do plenty of that in class. With that, I run off, hoping Ms. Lucy won't mark me absent.

~Homeroom~

I walk into homeroom to see everyone still chatting. Seems attendance hasn't been taken yet. I walk over to Ara and Aisha and they both greet me with a "hey." I reply with a nod and begin my questioning. "So, do you two know about this sparring partner stuff? I don't recall picking who I'd fight."

"Sparring partner?" Aisha asks.

"I take it you don't know as well…" Now this'll start bugging me.

I hear the door and look toward the direction along with everyone else. Ms. Daisy has arrived. "Morning students, I have an announcement. The sparring room is now open and you've all been scheduled to fight." Some of the kids in the class cheer at that. "Now, for today your opponent, or partner, has already been selected." She starts passing out cards to us. "The time on the card I'm giving you is the time you are to go to Camilla in order to start the match. These matches are to test your abilities. If you do well, you might also be sent on missions early. Oh, and also, if you have study hall or lunch, you are allowed to go spectate a match since they'll be going on throughout the day." I look at the time on my card. Same time as lunch, just as that boy had told me. I look over to the two girls.

"I have mine in a few minutes" Aisha says.

"Mine is after school. Can you two come with me?" Ara asks. Me and Aisha reply with a "yup." She still seems nervous so why not go support her?

~Lunchtime~

It's now time for my match. I'm to head to the sparring room to face that blonde haired boy, though something about this throws me off. How'd he know he was gonna fight me? I'm almost certain the other teachers wouldn't tell him his opponent, so how? I suppose I'll just ask once the match is over.

"Elsword" Aisha taps my shoulder. She smiles and gives me a thumb's up. "Show your opponent your power as a Rune Slayer!"

"Good luck. Though it's a sparring match, try and win, kay?" Ara adds.

"Don't worry, I'll win for sure" I reply. My first match of the year. This is really just a test to show Ms. Camilla what I'm capable of doing. Haha… I'm burning up with eagerness as I push open the doors to the sparring room. There I see Camilla, the boy, and some others along the sides of the room ready to watch. I take my place in the center with the boy.

"Are you both ready?" Camilla asks us. We nod. A smirk creeps onto my face as I draw my sword. I was all set to go. He takes a giant cannon off his back and points it toward me.

"I hope you're prepared Elsword, because I won't hold back" he says. I chuckle.

"I should be saying the same to you. Don't take me lightly just because you have that cannon" I reply, rushing at him. With a cannon like that, it doesn't seem like he would be the one to deal the first blow. Though I go for a quick slash, he manages to shift his cannon in order to stop it. Such speed for one, though that's needed for something like that. I back up to gain some distance, though it doesn't seem like he wants me to get back. He got into a position and shoots a cannonball at me. It comes so fast that I have no choice but to dodge roll out of the way. Another comes way too fast for me to avoid. It hits my left shoulder. Okay, my turn. I touch my sword, putting an ice rune on it, and then go for my next swing. It's the same as last time, so he'll block it. When our two weapons collide, his cannon freezes completely except for the handle.

"What?!" He begins to panic as he drops it.

"What now?" I question while going for another strike. As the swipe grazes his shirt, he pulls out two silver pistols. I hurry and jump back as he began shooting off. Three hit me before I could tell they are magic. Too bad for him. I shift my left arm to the right, creating a rune which begins deflecting the bullets back. He ends up dodging to the right to get away from the bullets; however I have another thing planned for him. I throw a rune, engulf by flames, at him. He grabs his cannon and holds it up. The ice melts and he launches himself into the air. I look up to see him ready to slam it down on my head. Big mistake.

"Be gone by the flames. Phoenix Talon!" A giant fiery phoenix shoots out from my body and into the air. The boy is caught completely off guard and hit by the flames. I throw an ice rune to keep him from burning to death as he falls. When he hits the floor, the match is over.

"The winner of this match, Elsword!" Camilla announces. "Your score for the match will be put up in two days." I walk over to the boy and help him up.

"Good job out there, you almost had me for a sec" I say.

"Thanks, you were pretty good too. You're the first Rune Slayer I've fought so I didn't know how to approach you" he replies. "Oh, by the way, my name is Chung. And in case you're wondering, yes I am the prince which is why I knew I'd fight you." It's like he read my mind. He answered the questions I had for him without me even having to ask.

"Nice job Elsword!" Ara shouts as she and Aisha ran to me.

"Yeah you were great! Nicely done" Aisha adds.

I smile. "Thanks."

**_And there's the second chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. More coming soon!_**


	3. Chapter 3 part 1

**_Chapter three part 1: The Results are in – First Quest!_**

~After School~

It has come time for Ara's match. Aisha and I try continuously try to calm her, though some attempts didn't quite work in favor. She now thinks some overpowered freak would be her opponent.

"I-I-I don't wanna go! No way!" she argues. I let out a sigh as I keep pulling with Aisha leading us.

"You'll be fine, trust me" I tell her, though she continues to shake her head.

"Please don't make me go! I-I'm begging you, please!" She's so overreacting. One: It's only a sparring match. Two: She'll be fine; no really bad harm will come to her since, once again, it's only sparring.

"Listen. If things get too crazy, you can just say you give up. Camilla will stop the match." She looks to the ground. I'm guessing that means she knows she has to do it. Another sigh comes out of me. "Hey, cheer up and have some confidence in yourself." I let her arm go and I see a smile on her face.

"You're right. Confidence in myself… thank you." And thus my calming methods have worked, for once. I nod my head and point to the door that heads to the sparring room. She steps forward and opens the door with Aisha not too far behind. Before I am able to follow them, a hand touches my shoulder. I turn back to see the girl with long white hair. We are about the same height.

"Can I help you with something?" I ask. She looks at me with these… cold and emotionless eyes. It's kind of weird actually.

"Have you, by chance, seen a boy named Raven around here?" She asks. Raven? Who's that? Never heard of him.

"Sorry but I don't know anyone named Raven." With that response, she still doesn't show any signs of emotion. What's wrong with her?

"I see." She does a turn and walks away. Judging by the band on her arm, she's part of the discipline committee. Did this 'Raven' guy do something wrong? Oh well, now isn't the time to worry about such things. '_I need to go support Ara,_'starts going through my head as I open the doors and go toward the benches for a seat. I came at a good time, the match is only starting. It seems Rena is Ara's opponent.

I look at the two girls to seem them draw their weapons. Rena with a bow, Ara with a spear. As Camilla shouts "go," Rena shoots an arrow. Such speed! Ara, just as fast, dodges it.

"Whoa" I hear students behind me say. I can't blame them. I'm pretty amazed myself. Rena shoots more arrows, does a backflip into the air, and shoots down what looked like a twig. Huh? Ara starts spinning her spear in a circle which deflects the arrows that has flown her way. She jumps over that twig thing and goes toward Rena. The strangest thing happens here. That twig explodes with Ara in midair. Her spear flies out of her hand while she herself goes toward Rena. Looking at this, I can predict the possible actions of Ara. She's either going to kick Rena or let the spear catch her. Another surprise comes about.

"Evoke!" Rena shouts. I feel a small burst of wind that came from whatever she did. Leaves began falling. What did she just do? Ara and her spear went sliding the other way. That skill must have done a number on her because now she's struggling to get up. This isn't good. My attention now turns to Rena. What will you do now?

With a small mumble, I hear the word "Fatality" from Rena's mouth. Oh no, this really isn't good. Ara's still on the ground. What happens next?

Rena dashes forward like the wind! Ara has still yet to get up. OH no, not good! "ARA!" I instinctively shout. That must have caused her brain to wake up because she shot right up and dodged the attack. Phew, and she was the one worried? That nearly gave me a heart attack! Maybe I should listen to my own advice once in a while. Losing focus, must concentrate on the fight.

Rena misses and is now on the ground. Ara should really take this time to comeback. The only thing is, what's she gonna do to bring it back? Her legs begin to move and she goes into a sprint. Rena gets back up. Both sides can end it, one way or another. Everything now happened within a second. Another one of Rena's "Evoke" came out to play, but this time it was bigger. Ara shouts out "Pulling Pierce." In a flash, the burst of wind comes again with the leaves following, but now smoke too. Just what exactly happened?

Anxiety hits my heart as I continue watching, eyes wide open. This smoke needs to hurry and clear. "What happened?" A student asks. Even I want to know. Did Ara get caught by it or was it just a distraction? The smoke begins to clear and me and everyone else can now see just what happened. Rena was on the ground. Ara was standing still. The match has been decided with Ara as the winner. A great match indeed. I clap, along with everyone else. Aisha pats my back.

"Let's go congratulate her" she says. I nod and stand up to jog alongside her to Ara. She was panting, out of breath. I don't blame her, it was an intense fight. "You did a great Ara, congrats!" A smile forms on Ara's face. I catch her attention as she turns toward me and smiles.

"Kept that confidence in yourself?" I ask her.

She nods. "It was blown away from that surprise Evoke, but your plead for my name made it come back." Well, I DID shout out her name like a complete idiot. Heh, oh well.

~Three days later in homeroom~

I am getting more and more anxious of these results. It isn't only me… at least that's what I think. I know I can be the ONLY one thinking of it. The sound of the door slamming against the wall causes me to look up from my desk. The one who did it is a student who's out of breath, most likely from running.

"Everyone!" he begins, "The match results are in!" This brought both anxiety and curiosity back into me, like a nostalgic punch to the face. I quickly get up and head to the notice board, Aisha and Ara not too far behind me.

As I approach the board I can see the other students there too. Glad I wasn't the only one. Spaces begin to clear so I move in and get a spot. I look at the list featuring class 2-C. '_Let's see, I am… Right there! I have…_' My mouth felt as though it dropped open. I go into shock by my score. Someone begins shaking me.

"Elsword, congrats! You got a 94!" Aisha shouts. I hear other voices like "Nice job," "Great work," "I wish I was you and got a score like that." It all makes me happy. Aisha got a 92 and Ara got a 90. With scores like this, we should be to go on quests soon.

"I wonder if we can do a quest today" Ara says. I wonder if Penensio would allow it. I suppose I can ask after school. I hear the bell, time for afternoon classes.

~Later in Global~

I'm sitting here, listening to Mr. C talk, though his words aren't getting through to me. He's going on and on about things, but I have no interest in what he's saying. The phone rings, cutting him off in the middle of his sentence as he walks over to answer it. I, along with the other students, silently wait till he gets off the phone. He hangs up and looks to us.

"Elsword and Ara, Penensio would like to see you both." He tells us. Huh? Why us? I'm sure we didn't do anything wrong.

~Penensio's office~

As I step into the office, I can see Penensio organizing some papers as well as Aisha sitting in a seat. Penensio's eye spots me as I'm observing the room.

"Ah, all three of you are here now. Good to see you three in person again" he says.

"You wanted to us?" I come out with.

"Yes, you three specifically since your scores are close." But for what? "Now, straight to the point. As you probably know the sparring match scores have been posted." We all nod. "Well, you three had some high scores." His attention turns toward me. "Especially you, Elsword. You had the second highest score." Second highest? Did I really do that good? "That being said, I am now assigning you to a quest." My eyes widen. Our first quest of the year… "Are y'all up for it?" I look over at Ara and Aisha, they give me a smile. Looking back at Penensio, he raises an eyebrow.

"We're up for it" I say, confidence in my voice. A smile finds its way onto his face as he picks up a sheet of paper.

"Well then, let me tell you what's going on. There have been complaints of demons outside the village, in Resiam's outskirts. I want you three to go investigate this issue. If there are in fact demons, you are to take them down without hesitation. Do you understand?" We all nod and walk out. I open my locker and grab my sword. It's time to head out.

**Chapter 3 already. :D We're getting somewhere now. Anyways...  
_To be continued in part 2_**


	4. Chapter 3 part 2

**_Chapter three part 2: First Quest! – Demons in the Outskirts_**

~Resiam Outskirts~

Upon reaching the outskirts of Resiam, I can see a major problem; half of it was swallowed up by the water. The girls and I decide to take a safe path away from the water.

"What happened to the water? Why's it all in the outskirts?" Ara questions.

"I remember when we first came here for orientation, this place was beautiful. People walking around and talking to others, kids running around having fun, and now…" I pause as I see one of the black creatures known as the demons running toward us. I turn to it and draw my sword. I pull it back then throw it forward, knocking the demon off its feet. Here's my chance. I run to the demon and dive at it. My left hand touches its head, got it! Using its head as a stand, I launch myself up and land. The rune I planted on the demon's head activates and it burns to death. "Now these creatures are trying to take over. We can't let this happen."

"Right! The demons can't just take over like they own it. They need to go back to where they came from" Aisha agrees. I point forward.

"Now, let's investigate the situation." The two girls nod and we run forward.

~Deeper into the Outskirts~

"Man these demons won't quit" I say.

"How many of them are here?" Aisha asks.

"I don't know about that but… wouldn't you count that one as about five of them?" Ara points to the big one with spikes all over its body. What. The. Hell…

"And that is?!" I sigh and put a rune on my sword. My sword becomes engulfed in fire.

"No clue, but I'm gonna take it down. Back me up you two." I say, rushing off into battle with Ara and Aisha beside me. The creature notices my presence and goes to attack. It's way too slow, I see right through it. The attack is a low stab toward our right. "Aisha, jump!" She listens and jumps into the air, dodging the attack.

"Energy…" Purple energy started forming around Aisha. Ara and I back up away from it. "Spurt!" She releases it all in one push, knocking the demon into the air. My chance! I line up perfectly under the demon.

"Be gone by the flames. Phoenix Talon!" The fiery phoenix shot out of me again and into the air. This time, I made it stop and explode at it hit the demon, covering it in fire. This burn that it'll get is special. It can't be stopped by things that'll normally stop it, like water. It only stops when the caster cancels it. I look toward Ara and give her a thumb's up, symbolizing her to finish it. I notice a smirk on her face before she throws her spear into the air. It begins falling at the same height as the demon. Ara jumps into the air and grabs her spear.

"Falling Dragon!" she shouts as she slams down on the demon, taking him down with a strong force, and then jumping off before hitting the ground.

"And that's the end" I say smiling. Aisha and Ara smile back to me. I suppose that was the cause of the demons here then, though it doesn't stop there. I know it. A demon like that may be the cause for the demons appearing here, though not the flood problem.

"Elsword, where do you suppose that leads? Aisha caught my attention, pointing toward the huge door behind me. Well… that's a surprise.

"Maybe a mini shrine?" I don't really know. I was so focused on what the cause of the flood was that… wait… is that a growling sound? "You two hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ara asks. I hear it… but what is it? OH! I move to the right as a spike passes by me, managing to cut my left leg.. That thing isn't done yet.

"So, it was you." The demon stands back up and lets out a loud growl. "Round two it is then!" The demon lifts its arms up and the three of us spread out. This'll increase the chances for successful attacks. Its arms come down as a line of spikes race toward me. I rush to my right and notice the demon's open for an attack. Aisha must have noticed too because she's now heading toward it. Focusing back on the spikes, I notice they're actually following me. I jump back and the spikes pass by me but stops. Another spike bursts out of the ground just inches from my face. I felt a slight pain on my cheek. It cut me. "Ha, this is nothing. Got anything else?" All I'm doing is aggravating it. I need to keep its attention off the girls. It notices the girls, dang, but doesn't attack them. Huh? Instead it leaps into the air away from them and disappears in the distance. That was… odd.

"D-did it get bored of us?!" Aisha snaps.

"Whoa whoa, calm down now. We shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet."

"Maybe it has something to do with the door opening?" Ara says while pointing toward that door again.

"Probably, we should go see" Aisha says. They walk off, now with me following instead of leading.

We go through the giant door to see an empty room with another door and the back wall broken down, revealing one of the buildings that collapsed into the whirlpool. A giant crystal with a symbol hangs from the ceiling. This place was probably a shrine of some sort. The thing that catches my attention the most is this small black ball on the ground. "I wonder what this is…"

"It might be dangerous. I don't think you should touch it" Ara warns me. It doesn't seem bad though.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad right?" I touch it, but now it feels like something's flowing into me. I pull away and blink. 'That was… weird.'

"I think we should go back now, we've already found out the reason for the demons being here" Aisha says.

"She's right. Come on Elsword" Ara adds. I guess we've found all that we needed. The cause for demons being here? That demon with all the spikes, though someone or something else is conducting it.

~After speaking with Penensio~

I go back to the locker room and put my sword back. Won't need it for now. I touch the spot where the demon's spike caught me, though nothing's there. I run to the bathroom and look in the mirror. Nothing's there! Was it just my imagination? Oh well, maybe it was. I walk out and notice that same girl with white hair staring at me. "Um… can I help you with something?"

"You ran to the bathroom holding your face. Is something the matter?" she asks. Her voice isn't as cold as last time, though there still isn't any emotion shown.

"Oh that. It's nothing, I just thought-"she interrupts me by putting her hand on my cheek. Wha?

"Take care of yourself. Don't go over your limit." She moves her hand then walks off. As I watch her, a blush forms on my face. I quickly shake it off and go back to my locker.

'What… just happened?'

**_To Be Continued in Chapter 4_**


	5. Chapter 4

**_Chapter four: The Search for the Girl_**

Quite a few days have passed since our first quest. We've been kept busy doing other quests, though they're more like errands than actual quests. An example would be us going to Ruben. We had to deliver what seemed like special package. It turned out to only be grilled fish prepared by our alchemist Denka. Sigh… we got some ED from it, though really it just felt like a waste of time. It really does bore me to do things like that. However, something good has happened today. Apparently we got a quest board, with ACTUALLY QUESTS! The quests have deadlines and they're updated weekly, or so I've heard.

~After School~

I go to the quest board to check out what it has. Papers thumbtacked to the board with various students looking at them. I manage to slip in and get a sheet. 'Missing' was written on top of it. In the middle was a girl with light purple hair and grey eyes. Seems like a good quest to go on. I pull away with the sheet in hand and look down the hall. Oh, Ara's there. I begin walking toward her though I bump into someone. I look up and see him. Black hair with a streak of red. Yellow eyes and scars on his face. He gives me a cold glare, 'Hmph' comes out of him and he walks away. Awkward… I look back toward Ara to see her walking toward me. I pass the sheet to her and she takes a look at it.

"A missing girl last spotted near the Ancient Waterway… A rescue mission?" she asks.

I nod. "It might not be fitting for you, though that really was one of the only ones I could get." I point to the crowd of people picking at the quest board.

"It isn't that. I just didn't think they'd let our rank on this type of mission." She has a point there. I remember from this morning what Ms. Lucy said regarding ranks.

~Flashback~

"_Alright class today I'll tell you about the new quest board. Since everyone was successful in their previous mission, the school decided to get a quest board. However, you can't just get any quest you want, that'll require your rank. You'll all start off at rank F, but some will be granted a higher rank due to your sparring score. Those with a score of 100 are automatically A-ranks. 99 to 96 are B-ranks. 95 to 84 are C-ranks. 83 to 76 are D-ranks. 75 to 66 are E-ranks. 65 and lower are F and need to either wait for an F-rank quest or retake your sparring test. Those who retake it will have 5 points deducted from their score while those who wait for the quest will have a timed run. Another thing, how to change your rank. As you do quests, you'll receive rank points. A certain number of rank points are required in order for you to advance in rank. Once you get a certain amount of rank points needed, you'll have a sparring match with someone who also can rank up. Whoever wins the match is the one who'll advance to the next rank. That is all."_

~End of flashback~

"Maybe they think C-ranks can handle it" I respond.

She shrugs. "Well, let's go get Aisha and head out." Seems like this'll be the next big quest for the three of us. I get my weapon from my locker. Time to go.

~Ancient Waterway~

We arrive at the Ancient Waterway. It isn't exactly what I thought it'd be honestly. I imagined it to be old, beat up, decomposed. Instead, it looks the complete opposite. Ground is fine, waterfall flows smoothly, and the sight is very nice.

"Wow this place is nice!" Aisha comes out with. I gotta admit, it is true.

"The scenery is just so beautiful" Ara adds.

"I wonder just how this girl got lost here. There doesn't seem to be any threats around." Just then, one of the demons began walking toward us. "I guess that could be the reason. " Aisha runs up and smacks the demon twice with the wand, the second one knocking it into the air. "Energy Spurt!" Purple magic quickly forms around her and shoots upwards, taking out the demon completely.

"That seemed stronger. When did you learn that?"

"I got a few lessons from Aurora, the junior Dimension Witch. She saw me training in the sparring room, trying to make this skill stronger. It was a bit difficult, but I managed."

"I don't mean to be rude, but we need to keep going if we want to save that girl" I cut in.

"Right, now isn't the time to be side tracked. We'll talk more about this after the quest." We move out, in search of the girl.

~Deeper in the Ancient Waterway~

"Rising Slash!" I clench my left hand then quickly kneel down. Placing my hand on the ground, I swipe it forward, sending my blades toward the demons. Out of seven, one was able to stay standing against it. Big mistake. I shift my hand backwards, making my blades come back to me. The demon had no chance as it was sliced in two. "Not bad, let's keep going." I begin the run again while looking around. No demons are up ahead, we should be good.

"I think there's something ahead" Ara says.

"What is that?" Aisha questions. I see some blue thing in a strange floating device.

"A merman?" I guess.

"It might just be a costume. What's it holding though?" It looks similar to a person. Hair pink with clothes pink, white and black. Is this the girl we're looking for? Only one way to find out.

"Hey you!" The merman thing turns its attention toward me. "What is it that you have?" It begins to laugh in a weird manner. Creepy… I turn to the girls and whisper; "I think that's her it has. We need to take it down now before it's too late." They both nod so I turn back to the thing and raise my sword.

"We're taking that item of yours whether you like it or not." I quickly break into a sprint going toward that thing. It pulls out a gun of some short and shoots at me. My runes can easily deflect bullets… wait that isn't a gun, it's a grenade launcher. So that means the bullet is… I quickly throw a rune at the missile, blowing it up.

"I got this one Elsword" Ara says to me as she jumps over me. I see her slide around that merman thing. Seems she's gonna take down the back. It presses a button on its strange device and starts to glow white. This could get ugly. I sprint forward to get a closer look at what exactly it's doing, but then I notice it. The sky! I quickly jump right, dodging the giant fist coming down. Way to close for my liking.

"I've got your back Elsword" Aisha says as she runs past me. The merman thing presses another button on its device and glows white again. Spikes emerge from the floating device and head toward Aisha. She does a quick spin and disappears, her teleportation skill. I see her reappear behind the merman thing with Ara. "Binding Circle!" A circle of light circles around her with the merman thing inside it. When it disappears, the merman doesn't move. "Now's our chance to attack."

Time to finish this. I rush straight toward the merman thing and jump into the air. Once my aim is right, I pull my left hand back. "Wind Blade!" One of my mystical blades appears beside me and pierces through the merman thing. Though looking up close now, it doesn't look like a merman, just something mixed with one. Time unfreezes for the thing and it feels the pain from my wind blade. I manage to take the girl it had captured. Turns out, she is the one we're looking for.

"Shadow Rising!" Ara shouts. I turn to see her stab the ground under the floating device. Darkness comes up and surrounds her, pushing out around her. Most of it hits the floating device and it explodes. The thing jumps out of it.

"You three did well taking me down, I'm impressed. The next time we meet, however, it'll be the other way around. Be prepared" it says. I guess it can talk after all. It jumps into the air and dives into the water. Well, it isn't my concern now. I look back to the girl in my hands and set her down. She's unconscious right now, though it doesn't look like any serious damage was done to her. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to see Aisha with her hand out. A bright blue stone was in her hand.

"We found this after the device exploded. I'm surprised it wasn't chipped or anything" Aisha says. I feel a hand grab my arm and turn to see the girl getting up.

"Oh, you're awake" I say. Her eyes are half open and she's sitting up very slowly. She tilts her head toward Aisha's hand. I'm guessing she sees the stone in her hand. "Something wrong?" She quickly gets up, pushing the three of us out the way and running away. Was it something we did?

"Hey, get back here!" Aisha begins running after her, but Ara stops her. I watch as she runs. It would seem she's either afraid of us or trying to do something. Either way, she's out of harm's grasp.

~At school~

We told Penensio the things that happened at the Ancient Waterway. He told us that it was alright that the girl got away and that the blue stone belonged to her, but how did he know that it did? Did he have some kind or background knowledge on this, or just guessing? I guess that doesn't really concern me so I shouldn't worry about it, though it still bugs me. I look at the sunset. Nightfall will soon come so I suppose I should be getting home soon, however I'm very content here. Setting on the balcony at school and looking at the sunset. It's helping clear my mind of some things. "How was your mission" I hear from behind me. I turn to see the same girl with white hair from before.

"You again… it was a success. We managed to save the girl, though she ran off. Penensio said it was fine" I reply.

"I see." She turns around and begins walking away.

"Wait. Do I… know you from somewhere?" It sounds crazy, but she does seem familiar.

"I don't know, do you?" She walks away. I wonder where I've met her at…

**_Kind of a delay. Sorry about that. Been busy due to college classes at school. I'll try harder now to upload my stories on time. Any ways..._**

**_To Be Continued in Chapter 5_**


	6. Chapter 5 part 1

**_Chapter five: My turning point part 1- Unpleasant Memories of mine…_**

~On the Hamel Marina~

Me, Chung, Aisha and Ara have been sent out on a mission together. This time, stop the demon uprising in Feita. Penensio told us that he thought the soldiers in Feita were able to seal away the demons; however a giant demon was able to break the seal and release the demons again. Feita was able to receive some help from Velder forces, however its attempt was futile. They weren't able to complete the job due to some unknown force. The four of us were hand-picked for this quest. I have no clue why, but I'm up for it, even though the thought of returning back to Rurensia sends a cold chill down my back. Maybe because of him…

"So we were the chosen ones for this quest huh?" Ara asks.

"Yup, though I don't see why. I mean, isn't it just like any other quest?" Aisha questions.

"Nope, this is based off the struggle of the residents in Feita. They want protection from the demons" Chung replies.

"Couldn't they just destroy the tower where the demons are coming from? I mean, that would help them out in the long run."

"As simple as that sounds, it isn't that easy. They want to seal the demons off while keep the tower up still. They believe in praying to the Lady of El. And besides, that tower is sacred and important to them."

"I suppose you're right. Though destroying the tower would help them out in a way, it's best to keep those that are special. The tower would be an example for them" I say. Chung nods. "I just now wonder what type of demon it is that destroyed the seal."

"Whatever it is must be very powerful. We have to stay focused once we get there." Looking at Chung, I can see the determination in his eyes. He could make a great leader. "You all got that clear?" We nod as we see Velder's docks approaching.

~Altar of Dedication, floor 41 ~

We finally arrive at the Altar, where the demon is supposedly residing at. What greets us is a very ominous wind. I don't like this…

"Well… are we all prepared?" Aisha asks. I look at her to see her slightly shaking. Ara too.

"You two scared?" I ask.

"W-wha? What gives you that impression?" Ara asks. Yup, she's scared.

"Oh, just the fact that you're shaking. Though I guess it's nothing." I hear 'Hmph' come from her and quietly chuckle. "Listen, we're all here to protect each other. Nothing to be afraid of." She takes a deep breath then smiles. I look at Chung and he nods. With that, we head deeper into the Altar.

~Altar of Dedication, floor 47~

Six floors of demons constantly attacking us. Man this is too much and it doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Sigh… We need to finish this before things take a change of events.

"So many demons in one place. Man oh man, I did not expect this" Chung says.

"I agree. I know it's supposed to be where the demon gate is, but they could at least give us a break" I say.

"I too agree with that, though now isn't the time. There's a bigger problem ahead of us" Ara points to one of the necromancers in front of us.

"Maybe that's where these necromancers keep coming from" Aisha says. "Alright then, I'm up. You three go ahead of me, I'll catch up after dealing with him.

"Aisha, that's a bit too risky. If we all work together, we can end it fast" Chung says.

"I know that, but we really need to stop more demons from coming out of the gate. Just go, I'll be fine by myself." Me, Chung and Ara all look at each other. It is risky to let her take this on her own, but there's the problem of more demons appearing. We have no choice.

"Aisha, do your best. I better see you again" I say as I begin running.

"Count on it, Elsword."

~Altar of Dedication, floor 48~

Seems there's still more floors to go on. I wonder how Aisha's doing…

"Proxy is up ahead, I'll take him on" Ara says.

"What?" Comes from me. First Aisha and now Ara?

"He specializes in speed and poison, something I can handle. The demon gate is going to let more demons in, so go without me for now."

"No choice Elsword, we gotta keep moving" Chung says. All these stops because of the demons, I don't like it.

"Don't let us down Ara" I say as I follow Chung to the next floor.

~Altar of Dedication, floor 49~

I hear a loud thump come from ahead of us. A giant demon with heavy armor and a hammer for a weapon.

"Seems I'm up next huh?" Chung says.

"No, not you too" I reply.

"I'm sure my bullets can pierce throw this demon with no problem at all. Besides, that gate's still open and we don't want any more demons here than there already is now do we?" He's right on that, though just leaving him and the girls like that doesn't seem right. I really don't like this.

I clench my fist and run off. "You better not let it take you down."

"I wouldn't dare let that happen, not with others counting on me."

~Alter of Dedication, floor 51~

Not much now except for small demons. I guess the others only got the major demons. Still, I can't bare to take it if they get defeated. I press on; slashing down the remaining demons stopping me from the next room. Before I go on, however, I stop at a symbol on the ground. Judging by the symbols, I'd say it's for teleportation. Must be to the final room. It's much different than taking more and more stairs to another floor.

"Elsword!" I hear Chung's from behind me. I turn and see my three friends arrive. "Told ya I wouldn't dare let it happen."

"You three had me there for a second. I'm glad to see y'all made it" I reply.

"You actually thought demons would get the best of us? What type of friend are you? We would never let something like that happen" Aisha yells at me.

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. Don't yell." She growls at me. I guess what I said wasn't the right thing. "Anyways, look here, it's a teleportation sign. Think it'll take us to the final room?"

She takes my hand. "Let's hope so, or else we'll be having a talk about this." We all step on the teleportation mark and get sent to another room.

~Altar of Dedication, floor 52~

The first thing I spot is a giant blue demon-like wolf staring at us. Quickly, I draw my sword.

"Well now, I didn't expect you to reach this place so fast" I hear. That voice! I know that voice! I see a man in dark armor land in front of the demon. It's him… Valak, the one who changed my life.

"So, you're the one behind this?" Chung asks.

"Oh yes. I broke the seal on the gate and released the demons."

"But why? Don't you know the damage they'll do if they make it out of the tower?" Aisha asks.

"It'll be a lot of fun to watch the pain and suffering on everyone's faces. That's all."

"Is that the reason why you did it then? Is that the reason why you took my family away?!" I yell. He begins walking toward us. I run up and swing my sword at his head, but he stops it with his claw.

"You again kid? I thought I ended your life while you were a child. Elsword, wasn't it?"

Looking at his mask brings back a horrible flashback of when I was 4.

~Flashback from 11 years ago~

"_Daddy, take me to the park please?" I call out._

"_Alright, but only if you show me how much you've improved today" my father replies. I put my hands today together and close my eyes. I feel a flow of energy go to my hands as I concentrate. Opening my eyes, I pull apart my eyes and fire appears in my hands. "Very good, you really are improving. I'll take you out for some ice cream too if you'd like." I jump into the air from happiness._

"_Yes! Yes!" He laughs at my excitement and puts out his hand for me to grab. Before I'm able to take it, however, a loud noise comes from the front of my house. My father runs to the front of the house to see what it's about, but his eyes widen. I run of to see what it is, but he holds his hand out to me. _

"_Stay in the back Elsword." But what is it I'm staying away from? Disobeying his command, I run forward. "Stay back!" _

_I turn to the door to see a man walking out of the house, my mother in his hand with blood dripping from her body. "M-mom…?" A tear forms in my eye. The man laughs and throws her forward like trash. I run to her, to see if she's still alive, but the man kicks me back. I hit the gate and fall face-first into the ground. _

"_You'll pay! Armageddon Bla-"my father stops talking. I look up to see him being stabbed in chest by that man._

"_Father!" I cry. I hurry and got to my feet then ran to the man. Out of anger and sadness, fire appears in my hands. The man kicks my father off his sword then looks toward me. Looking as his mask, everything starts getting darker. Before I know it, I was unconscious. _

_The next morning I wake up in a hospital bed. Turns out I had fainted and was taken to get help, or so I was told. None of the doctors told me anything else besides that. I'm guessing to keep me from getting sad over my parents' death. Later that week, I was sent to an orphanage. The people and kids there were all friendly. Come to think of it, the one girl I was friends with was Eve. Now we're even in the same school together… Guess I do know her after all. _

_At age thirteen, I became a Magic Knight. It was very easy due to me being able to use magic at the age of four. Age fourteen, I saw him again. The man known as Valak, taking another person's family. I tried to save them, though they didn't make it. I, on the other hand, barely made it. The mother jumped in front of me at the last moment just before I was to be killed. I should have been the one to die, not her._

_Age fifteen, I took the Rune Slayer exam and became an official Rune Slayer days later. From that day forward, I vowed to protect people. I won't let this power go to waste. _

End of flashback~

I close my eyes and jump back. "On that day, I vowed to protect people." I open my eyes and point my sword toward Valak and the demon. "You both are considered hostile, a danger to people. That being said, I WILL take you down!" I run at Valak and see a smirk on his face.

"Try me kid" is what I hear before our sword clash.

**_Oops, ending at the fighting. Don't worry, next part will be soon. Reviews? Comments? Both are nice :D_**

**_To Be Continued in part 2_**


	7. Chapter 5 part 2

**_Chapter five: My turning point part 2- Dancing with Death_**

Valak swings his sword at me, which I easily duck under. An opening! I direct magic to my fist then jab at his open chest. When I feel my hand connect, I slide away, letting the fire that was in my hand explode on him. Perfect timing. I pull my sword back and jump into the air. As the explosion clears I see my target, his head. I swing my sword, but there doesn't seem to be any connection with anything. I missed. I land and turn my head to see the others, but something causes me to fall.

"Was that really your best shot?" Valak says as he stands over me with his sword pointing at my face.

"Nope, just getting started" I say. I slam my sword down onto the ground, causing fire to erupt around me and it. Valak somehow manages to jump away before it hits. I growl as I stand back up.

"You know, I should be the least of your problems." Eh?

"And why's that exactly?" He points behind me. I turn to see Ara being thrown toward me. Oh no! I run to where she's about to land, but something spiky hits my back and I fall over. Ow, that really hurt. Ara lands next to me in pain. "How're y'all holding up?"

"Not too good. That demon's power is ice and it really isn't doing us much good fighting it" Ara tells me. If only there was two of me. One to fight Valak and the other to help fight the demon. Chung and Aisha run over to us.

"It's like we're doing nothing to this thing" Chung says.

"Let me try fighting him. I might be able to handle it so you three take on Valak" I say. They nod and I look at the demon. "Hear that? I'm all yours now." It howls and I smirk.

I sprint toward it, fire illuminating from my sword. Ice spikes pierce through the ground close to me. No problem. I swing my sword at the first spike that comes too close, but it doesn't go through. Plan B time. With both of my hands, I put a fire and ice rune on my sword. Though making steam, it's a different type of steam. It'll absorb both fire and ice for as long as I can keep my mana up for the cost. I have plenty now so it shouldn't be too bad.

With a few dodges and some swings, I finally make it next to the demon. It swings its large claw at me, but I roll under it. My turn now. I take a clean shot at its right leg, causing it to stumble. Next I go along its back and tail. It howls in pain. Last I pull back and swing my sword directly at its left leg, causing it to fall down. Here's a start. Now I turn my attention to the others to see bad results. From the looks of it, it seems Valak showed no mercy when fighting. All three of them are on the ground in pain. Alright, I'm sick of this. "Valak!" I sprint directly at him. He jumps into the air, such a mistake. "Burn out, Phoenix Talon!" The fiery phoenix shoots out of my body and into the air, knocking Valak down. Once he hits the ground, I run to where he is.

"Impressive, but not quite" he says. I stop once he says that. A dark ball surrounds him, probably an explosion. I cover my front by using my sword. Spikes come out of the ball and manage to push me back a bit. As I move my sword, I see him already up. Alright, round two now. I run over to him and swing my sword horizontally, but he ducks and it misses. Something on the ground causes me to rise into the air. Valak pulls back his arm and punches me. Somehow, I go far back and my sword slips out of my hand. I stand back up, even though the pain is starting to come. He points behind me again.

"What, another surprise attack?" I say as I turn my head. I see the demon back on its feet in a pose and the three now getting up. A blue energy beam comes out of its mouth and toward… the three… No! I sprint and push the three out of the way. I put both of my hands together, quickly directing my mana, and then I spread my arms out, creating a giant rune. There isn't time for me to escape now so I gotta send it back. The energy beam hits my rune. The impact causes me to shake a little, but I'm still fine.

"Elsword! What are you doing?!" I hear Aisha shout. She's mad at me by the tone of her voice. I guess… this was a stupid thing to do, however, no turning back now. I hear a mischievous laugh behind me, oh no.

"X" I hear. Sharp pain is what I feel from my back right now. Too much to take, my arms are losing their place. "Crash!" Another fearsome attack hits my back. Ugh! A force pushes me forward. Losing my balance, the rune breaks and…

…

…

…

"-t up!" is what I think I hear. My back, my legs, my face. Everything hurts so much right now. "Please, get up. Elsword!" I can hear clearer now. My eyes slowly open up and it's Ara shaking me. So I really did survive?

"W-what's wrong?" I manage to get out.

"What was that? Why would you do such a risky thing?"

"Sorry but… had to." I slowly stand up using the wall as my support. "Where's Valak?"

"He disappeared an-"The right side of my body gets hit by a very fast and strong force. Once again, I'm sent into the air. As I turn my body, I see him, Valak. He grabs my neck and throws me against the wall. I can't stand… I fall to the ground. "Get away from him!" Ara's still safe, that's good.

"You're in the way girl. I advise you to get away before something happens to you" I hear Valak say.

"Not a chance. You might be able to seriously hurt me, yet I don't fear you. Now step away or else I'll take you down myself." I hear something stick-like hit the ground. I lift my head up to see Ara on the ground with her spear by her side while Valak stands above her.

"Now to do what was needed to be done." He starts walking over to me. I'm so defenseless right now. My arms don't want to move, nor does the rest of my body. Valak lifts up my head. "Now if I can recall correctly, your left cheek was cut by a mysterious monster. Am I right?"

"What if it was? It doesn't change the fact that I'm gonna kill you" I say. He moves the hair out of my left eye. He then puts his first two fingers on my top eyelid and his thumb on the bottom. I shake my head to get him off. He hits my back with his claw then did the same thing over again. I just can't resist this time.

He starts putting pressure on me, causing my eyelid to open up more. What the hell is he doing?

"Phase one…" He pushes inward and then pain just rushes at me. I scream as the left side of my face bursts into aching pain. I move my left hand onto my left eye. "Complete." What is he trying to do? With my right arm, I push myself onto my knees. I move my left hand from my face, revealing the blood. He… removed my left eye? "My work here is done. If you manage to survive somehow, I'll be sure to pay you another visit." With that, he walks off into the darkness. My left eye is now gone, but why'd he want it? And how did he know that spiky demon cut my face? Was this planned from the start? Ugh, no time for that. I stand up and turn my head to the demon. My vision is getting blurry and it's still standing, which means if we don't do anything now, we might die. The pain still rages on, but I have to pull through it. I must protect my friends!

I put both my hands together. "I'll be sure… to erase you completely! Shining..." I point my left hand toward the demon and a black hole appears over me, sucking it in. Once it's in, I create a rune to prevent the others from being sucked in. "Rune..." Giant runes appear on each side of the black hole with the demon. Multiple rune blades appear behind them and pierce through the demon. "BUSTER!" I clench my hand and the whole thing explodes, destroying the demon completely. Before it's able to completely fade away, I hear it roar in immense pain. Good, I got the job done.

"Elsword!" is the last thing I make out to hear before falling back down. Everything just goes black. Guess that move took the rest of my mana out of me…

~Hamel Academy's hospital, two week later~

I wake up breathing heavily. Was all that just a dream? I put my left hand on my left eye and feel some type of bandage on it. So it wasn't a dream, it all happened. Wait, the others! I look around, but they aren't here. Guess because this is the infirmary. However, Eve is here. "So you're finally up" she says.

"Eve…" comes out of me.

"And you've finally remembered my name. That's good to know. How're you feeling?" Yup, this is Eve alright. Always worrying about me, just like the old days.

"I'm alright, just a bit in pain is all."

"What exactly did you go up against to put you in this type of condition?"

"It was a giant demon… and Valak." A gasp came out of her. If I can recall correctly, she was the only one I told about my past at the orphanage. "The giant demon launched an energy blast at the others. I had to save them, so I used a rune to stop it; however, Valak got behind me and knocked me into it. Afterwards… he removed my left eye." Her eyes widen. "Ara tried to stop him from doing so, but Valak knocked her down. By then it was too late for me."

"What of the demon you fought then?"

"I used the last bit of my mana to kill it. If I didn't, the four of us would've died. Speaking of which, where are they?" The door to my room opens with a loud 'bang!' Aisha comes in, anger on her face, with Chung and Ara right behind her.

"Elsword you idiot!" Aisha shouts. I guess she still isn't over me knocking the three of them out of the way.

"Aisha I had to. If I didn't push you three out of the way, y'all would've been finished." She walks over to me, anger still on her face. She lifts up her hand, about to hit me. I close my eye and wait for it to happen, but it doesn't. Instead she wraps her arms around me. A hug? But why?

"Don't scare us like that. I thought… you were dead." My eye widens. In my head though, that's what I thought happened to me. "Don't do that again."

"I'm very sorry. It won't happen again though, I promise."

**_Things got intense just now. Though, they might get even more intense (somewhat of a mini spoiler). Not sure how the next chapter will be, but be sure to read it when it does come out. Until then..._**

**_To Be Continued in Chapter 6_**


	8. Chapter 6

**_Chapter six: An Unexpected Ally_**

~Elsword's dorm~

Two weeks have passed since I've been in the hospital bed. While the blast from the demon wounded me the most, the doctors wanted to make sure my left eye socket would fine. Even after three days from the incident, the bleeding still continued. I put an eye patch over my left eye socket, making me feel like I'm trying to cosplay as a pirate. I push a bit of my hair onto my left side, covering up the eye patch but now making me look emo. Sigh… I guess it's one way or the other.

~At school~

Room 2-C… my homeroom. My classmates haven't seen me in two weeks. I wonder how they'll react. I open the door and walk in.

"-e calling you in for… Ah, Elsword. It's good to see you again. Please, take your seat" Ms. Daisy says to me with that same cheerful smile from the first day. While walking to my seat, my classmates look at me as though I was once dead. Least, that's what it seems like to me. I sit in my seat and Aisha and Ara look at me as though I was a ghost.

"Something wrong you two?" I ask.

"Are you feeling better?" Aisha asks.

"Yeah, better now that I'm not in that hospital bed. I can't wait to get back into doing quests."

"Don't push yourself too much Elsword. We really don't want you getting seriously injured" Ara tells me. She's right, though I don't like just sitting around.

"Relax, I won't. I'll be more careful from here on out." With that, they both turn away and look back at the teacher. I do the same, though the thought of my attacks not hurting Valak starts getting to me.

~After school~

It's been on my mind all day, are my skills off? Is that the reason why my attacks barely did damage to Valak? Guess it's time to retrain myself. I go to the quest board, however, there're no quests on there for any rank. Guess I'll just get one straight from Penensio.

~Penensio's office~

I walk in to see Penensio moving some papers around. He looks up to see me. "Ah Elsword, good to see you out and about again. Tell me, what brings you here? "

"Well, there isn't any quests on the board and I'd like to accept one" I tell him.

"A quest huh. Alright, I'll let you go. You'll be sent out with-"I interrupt him.

"Sorry but… could I, by chance, do this alone?" His facial expression changes. "I know it sounds stupid because I just recovered, but this will help me hone my skills and not have my teammates burden themselves for my sake." He looks down at his papers.

"I suppose I can let it slide for now, but you're receiving a quest that isn't too hard for you in your current state." He pulls a sheet of paper from the pile of papers on his desk and passes it to me.

"I understand. Thank you for letting me do this." He nods and I leave the room and look at the paper he gave me. A picture of a dark elf is in the middle with words under it. 'This dark elf, Chloe, has been spotted near the Heart of the Ancient Waterway causing problems for those who pass by.' Seems now this elf Chloe is my target.

~Heart of the Ancient Waterway~

I arrive at the Heart of the Ancient Waterway. It's a little bit further up from the Ancient Waterway, where the three of us saved that girl. I wonder if I'll see her again… Well, no time to lose. I run further into this place, but there doesn't seem to be any demons. Strange. Could it be due to this elf I'm looking for or someone else that already got rid of them? Guess I gotta keep going to find out. But wait, I feel that same ominous wind again, from Feita. I don't like where this is going. I stop and look around. "Come out, I know you're here."

"Seems you've already gotten use to the winds in a short period of time. Once again, I'm impressed" a familiar voice says. Valak appears in front of me, emerging from the darkness with a grin on his face. "Surprised?"

"Nope, just ready." I run at him and swing my sword. He uses his Nasod arm to stop my swing and grab my sword.

"I'm not here to take your life just yet, only to finish something I started." He yanks my sword from my hands and throws it behind me. "Now, be a good boy. There's no point in you fighting back." A rune forms in my left hand and I begin to growl. "I knew this would happen. Seems your hatred toward me is still dominant." I go to hit him with the rune, but he catches my arm and throws me toward the wall. I hit it, not as hard as in Feita yet it still hurt, and then proceed to go back to him, but something stops me.

I look at my arms and legs to see some type of dark seal around them. "What the hell is this?" No matter how many times I try to move, I can't get free. It also feels as though these seals get tighter the more I try.

"You brought this on yourself. Now, try not to move as much." He moves closer to me, just like at the Altar. What's his plan now? He moves my hair from over the eye patch and rips it off. "Seems you got the bleeding to stop." He moves his hand then pulls a container off his waist. Inside of it, there's a round object. Is that my left eye? He takes it out and holds it over my left eye socket. "Try to control this. If you don't, it'll at least be fun watching the darkness eat away at your body." Without hesitation, he jams that eye into my left eye socket and the dark seals break off. I fall to my knees and hold my 'new' left eye. There's a little pain at first, though it just fades away. Valak laughs then disappears once more. Sigh… so this was his plan. Take out my left eye and replace it with this strange one. However, why did he have to give me this eye? What's so bad about it? I can't think about it now, I can see that elf and a few demons coming toward me. Least now it saves me the time of looking. I grab my sword and get into a stance. No time to dawdle.

The first demon comes rushing head-first at me. It's slow moving so it's not that hard to dodge, but I want to do this a different way. I jump over it, planting my foot on its head and jumping off. I throw an ice rune and land while it stops and turns around. I turn my attention to the next demon, a bird… chicken… a giant orange chicken, I don't know. It comes faster than that other one, but not that fast. When it gets close, I side-step and tag it with a rune, a fire one. Both of the demons look at me then rush at me. I wait for it, then dodge roll before getting caught up in the clash. Steam emits from both of as they fall to ground. Two down already. The third one throws some type of spear toward me. I move out of the way, dodging it, then go toward it. This one is too slow; it has to be punished for that. I hit it with two quick slashes then place my hand on the center of it. A rune sign forms and I push away. "Shatter apart!" The rune sign expands, splitting the demon in many ways than one. Now, I look toward Chloe.

She comes at me with a slide attack, which I easily dodge. I swing my sword vertically, though she manages to avoid it. She quickly jumps up and throws two kicks at me. They come at me fast, though I manage to dodge them both. Another kick comes my way, like she isn't even trying now. A sharp pain emerges from the 'new' eye, making me lose my balance and getting hit. Chloe slides by me then kicks me in the back. Then I feel multiple kicks strike my back. Before I know it, I'm on the ground. I look up to see Chloe standing over me, knife in hand. My sword feels heavy and the left side of my body feels numb. I gotta do something, quick!

"Revolver Cannon!" I see bullet like objects fly over me. When I look up, it's that guy again. Was he sent to come help me? He walks pass me without making eye contact and holds his Nasod arm up toward Chloe. "Hellfire Gatling!" Fireballs shoot out from his Nasod arm. Chloe tries to dodge it, but once one hits her, it wasn't long till more did. After a few seconds, he stops and Chloe stays down. Once she gets back up, she shoots a glare toward him and jumps away. He then turns toward me with a cold look.

"How'd you find me?" I ask. He doesn't respond. All he does is turn his back toward me. "Was it Penensio that sent you?"

"This was originally my quest. Penensio gave you the wrong piece of paper" he replies, "You were meant to go back to Rurensia and aid Vanessa and Velder forces. Penensio decided to send someone else for that and had me come retrieve you." It's a good thing he did; I don't think I would've survived that last hit. "Now, Elsword was it? We need to get going."

"Oh, right." I stand up and put my sword on my back. It doesn't feel as heavy as before; guess because the 'new' eye isn't causing me any pain right now. Oh well, I now just wonder how I'm going to deal with this without anyone noticing.

**_Sorry that took so long. Tactical Trooper recently came out for Elsword NA and... well... yeah, had to play him. But! I gotta wait now for a friend of mine to reach level 50 so we can officially do secret dungeons and get coins from them. Therefore, more stories should start popping up since homework isn't all that bad. (Finish most to all of it at school) Anyways..._**

**_To Be Continued in Chapter 7_**


	9. Chapter 7

**_Hey there readers, Cy here (Obviously). Sorry for the wait on this chapter, I know I said I would try harder at getting them in on time... but something came up at the time. Pokemon X and Y (Yes, I play Pokemon. So what :P), had to get it along with my older brother and... yeah. So think of this chapter as filler for the next one. _**

**_Chapter seven: Hiding the Truth_**

I look into the mirror and examine this 'new' eye. Black is now the sclera color which should be white, iris color purple when it should be red. Great, I'm gonna need to cover it up. I look around for the eye patch, but I remember that it got… ripped off… back there… Well, that's out of the question. Maybe if I shift my hair over? It could work… I hope. My alarm clock beeps, telling me that I should be leaving now. Ugh… I really do hope this works.

~Locker room~

Okay, so I somehow got pass a group of kids without them suspecting anything. Phew… I open my locker and put my bag inside. I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to see Eve. I nearly jump at seeing her, but it comes out as a small flinch. "Hey Eve" I say, trying not to sound bitter.

"Hello Elsword. How are you feeling?" She asks.

"I'm fine, just fine. Nothing wrong at all." I'm talking too much. She'll know something's up if I don't cut it out. She tilts her head while looking at my hair. Has she caught on that quick?

"I see you decided to go with a new hairstyle today. Might I have a look to see how your eye is?" On no, I can't let her see it.

"I don't know…" I look away from her. She moves into my line of sight.

"Oh come on, just a peek?" She's so set on seeing my eye. Was she like this back then? I can't really recall the events that happened back then… Seems I forgot.

"Well…" The bell rings, cutting off my sentence. Now's my time to escape. "There the bell, gotta go. Bye!" I run off so she doesn't stop me. Once I get into my classroom, I hurry to my sit as though I just did something bad. I hope Eve isn't upset with me leaving so abrupt like that. Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick on leaving? No, she would have found out then. I gotta keep this eye hidden.

"Hey Elsword, how are you?" Ara asks.

"I'm fine." I look at Aisha, who's oddly silent today, only to see she's has her head down and is asleep. "What's up with her? She looks as though she's exhausted from life."

"She was sent on a mission yesterday to help out an E rank. Turns out he wasn't that good and she had push herself." Seems she did more than just push herself. Ara then pokes her. "Better get up now, the teacher just walked in." Aisha groans as she lifts her head.

"You alright, sleepy head?" She looks at me with a serious face. Not that cheery, playful smile I see almost every day. One that seems as though she hates the world. "Hey, lighten up. Least you don't have some overpowered freak beating you up and taking you left eye." She goes to talk, but then looks down. I'm… not helping. "C'mon, it was only a joke. Still, lighten up. Can't be that bad right?" She yawns and turns toward me.

"How is your eye socket by the way?" She asks.

"It's fine, nothing wrong with it." She nods and looks at the teacher, who was writing things on the board.

"Alright class, I have a bit of news. Today, you'll be getting out early. There's a faculty meeting going on which means all teachers are to go. You'll be going as soon as you leave your study halls. As you should know, you're free to walk around campus up until curfew; however you can't come back before then if you left something behind. Once you leave the school, you cannot come back in." Ms. Daisy explains. With this early release, I can head to the gym and train. Give me some time to figure out the point of this eye. "That being said, let's begin class already."

~Study Hall~

We're now in study hall. It's just as quiet as it is any other day. All you could hear was either the pencils writing on paper or Ms. Stella's typing. It's really miserable in here. While finishing up my homework for the day, a sharp pain came to my left eye, cause me to grunt and accidentally kick my desk leg. It was loud… so everyone looked my way. "Elsword, are you alright?" Ms. Stella asks.

"Oh uh… it was nothing. I just… got a chill. A-and it caused me to kick the desk leg. Completely unintentional I should add" I lie. That was a bad lie; wait no, a horrible lie. Ms. Stella nods, accepting the lie and goes back to typing. Everyone else goes back to what they were doing. It… worked? That's a surprise, but I'll take it. The bell rings and we're all dismissed. I go to my locker and put my things away. I won't need it tonight since I was able to finish my homework. I close my locker and lock it. On my way out, I see Aisha standing at her locker and not moving, so I decide to walk over. "Hey, you alright?" There's not reply. "Eh? Aisha? You okay?" I poke her now and hear her groan again, just how she did in homeroom. "Man, you're more tired than I thought you were."

"I stayed up longer than I should of. I should have gone to sleep as soon as we got back, but I didn't" she replies yawning. She grabs her bag, closes her locker and goes to walk out. Thing is, she's going the wrong way. I follow her.

"Um… where are you going?" It's obvious she's beyond tired.

"This is the way out… right?" She wipes her eyes and looks around. I shake my head.

"That's the way to the classrooms. The way out is the other way." She looks the other way then looks back at me with an embarrassed look. I chuckle. "Come, I'll take you back to your room." She nods and we start walking. I get to the end of the hall and look back at her. She's only about halfway down the hall, leaning on the wall. I walk back to her with a look of confusion.

"Walking is so tiring. Why can't I just sleep here for the night?" I sigh and turn around.

"Come on, get on my back." I here an 'Eh?' from her. "You heard me, I think. Get on my back, I'll carry you home." Slowly, she puts her arms on my shoulders and hops up. I hold onto her legs and begin walking. She rests her head on my right shoulder. Guess to go to sleep. I blush a bit, but shake it off.

Walking out, I can spot some people watching us. Probably thinking we're a couple but no… just two friends walking… This is awkward.

~Dorm~

I walk into the dorm with Aisha still on my back. Now comes the hard part: Where's her room? I shake Aisha a bit, causing her to wake up. "Mmm..?"

"Where's your room?"

She yawns. "Second floor… third door to the right…" I go up the stairs and walk to the third door on the right. She pulls out a key and hands it to me, which I use to open the door then walk in. I put her key on her dresser and slowly put her down on the bed. She moves around a bit then turns her head. "Thank you Elsword." She says before going back to sleep. I smile then go to leave her room, but the pain comes back. I quickly hold my eye and start stumbling. I put my hand on her dresser and look into the mirror.

'Damn this pain. Go away already!' I move my hair from my left eye and look at it. A purple glow emits from it. I sigh as I close it and move my hair back. I need to figure this out. Since I already know Valak isn't gonna tell me anything about this eye, I have to do it myself. I turn around to see Aisha… staring at me as though I'm a monster. "Uh… you saw that didn't you?" She slowly nods her head. Damn, of all the times for the pain to come, it had to be now. "It's kind of a long story for why I have this." I sigh. "During my last mission, Valak managed to catch and give me this… eye." I move my hair out of the way and show my eye. The purple glow catches her off guard as it causes her to gasp.

"Elsword, we need to get you some help. That eye-"I cut her off.

"Sorry Aisha, but no. I can't get help. I need to keep this a secret and so do you since you now know it." She looks away from me. "Please Aisha? I can't let anyone else know about this eye. I'm going to figure this out."

"If you truly believe you can…" She turns back to me. "…Then I trust you. I won't tell anyone."

"Glad you understand. Thank you Aisha, it really means a lot." She nods and we sit and chat for a bit. Soon she falls asleep and I leave. I look out one of the dorm windows to see that the sun is going down. Sigh… oh well, training will be sometime tomorrow. I go into my room and lay on my bed. I will figure this out before the darkness in it tries to suck me in.

**_To Be Continued_**

**_P.S: The next chapter is already in development so it shouldn't take long!_**


	10. Chapter 8 part 1

**_Chapter eight part 1: The Ice Knight_**

I wake up later than usual and look at the clock. 'Guess I can't do any training this morning' I think as I groan. I pull myself out of bed as I get ready for the school day ahead.

~Hallway~

All throughout my walk toward homeroom, I keep hearing students talking about the same thing. This 'elite Hamel knight' coming in. Why would an elite Hamel knight be coming to the school? Did something wrong happen? "I heard he's the first to surpass the best elite knight" I recall one of them saying. All I really do is just ignore it and go to class. Ara and Aisha are at their seats so I walk over to them.

"Elsword! Hear about the elite knight coming?" Ara says. I nod.

"While I was walking here, all I could hear was rumors about this person" I reply.

"To have surpass the original elite knight? He must be really powerful." I shrug and sit down.

"I suppose. Hopefully we'll be able to see him today" Aisha says. Me and Ara nod and turn to the teacher, who just came on.

"Alright students, very important news today. Some students might not know this, but there's an elite Hamel knight coming in today" Ms. Daisy says. The door opens. "As a matter of fact, here he is now. Everyone, welcome Reiku, the leader of the Elite Hamel Knights." As he steps in, I now see what he looks like. A bit taller than me, black hair, moonlight blue eyes and… a school uniform? What? "As of today, he'll be a new student here. However, he won't be here everyday due to Knight duties. Go ahead and introduce yourself Reiku." Reiku looks around at the class and lifts up hand and waves it. Not even gonna say hello? "You can have that open spot right there in front of Elsword." She points to the seat in front of mine and he walks over and sits down, still not saying a word. "Alright class, let's begin."

~P.E~

It's now time for P.E. Camilla comes in with four orange cones. "Alright class, today I want you all to split up into four teams of six" she says. Me, Aisha and Ara quickly get into a team. We need three more teammates so we decide to split up and get some. I got Chung, Aisha got Rena and Ara got Reiku.

"Which one of us is gonna go first?" Rena asks. We all look at each other.

"How about you, Mr. Elite Knight?" Aisha says. He shrugs and goes to the front. "Who's next?"

"Guess I'll go next" Chung says as he goes behind Reiku.

"Me next." Aisha goes behind Chung. Ara goes next, then Rena with me being last. After a short period of time, everyone else gets into a team.

"Alright, now here's how it'll go. Two teams will face each other at once. Whichever team wins three times out of five wins and proceeds to the final round. The way your team is set up will be the order of who goes first. The object of the fight is to, of course, knock your opponent out. Let's see… Reiku's team versus Noel's team." Reiku walks to the center where Camilla and Noel is. I notice Reiku doesn't have a weapon with him. Where is it?

Noel points his sword at Reiku. "I'll take you down and show everyone you're an overrated knight." Such a harsh way to talk to your opponent. Reiku replies with a "Hmph" and crosses his arms.

"You may begin" Camilla says. Noel starts off with rushing at Reiku with two quick says which he dodges easily. Noel stops for a second and thrusts his sword at Reiku. He dodges that as well, kicks Noel in the side and grabs arm, tossing him to the other side.

"Is that all? This isn't even fun" Reiku says. Noel growls as he gets up.

"Sandstorm!" Noel does a quick spins then lifts his sword, creating a mini sandstorm. A giant ice wall appears in front of Reiku, protecting him from the sandstorm. So he uses magic without a weapon to cast it.

"Done yet?" Noel glares at Reiku, who's giving him a cold smile.

"Windmill!" Noel does another spin then starts rapidly spinning like a spinning top. He then starts spinning toward Reiku, who stands there with that smile still on his face. As Noel gets very close to Reiku, Reiku ducks then quickly slides forward with his hand out.

He stands up. "The match is over." Noel stops spinning, drops his sword and falls. "I didn't even use Tōketsu-fū this time. You need to improve, Lord Knight." So he does have a weapon…

"And the winner is-"Camilla is cut off.

"No!" Noel shouts as he stands back. Everyone looks at him, except Reiku. "I will not lose to you! We are the better knights! Armageddon Blade!" He puts his sword out and a giant aura comes out, taking the shape of a longer sword. Whoa. Reiku's smile turns into a frown. Noel, with the now added reach, goes to strike Reiku once more, but he parries it in a flash with a sword with ice on the side of the blade. Noel flinches and ice spikes appear, pointing directly at his face.

"You're finished, now cut it out before you hurt the others" Reiku says as the ice spikes disappear and Noel falls to his knees. "Go back and train, I'll wait for you." That was… a surprise.

"Well class, now that that's over we'll-"Camilla is cut off once more by Penensio walking in.

"Sorry to interrupt, but all teachers are needed for another meeting again. This one is sudden but it has to be addressed. Also, Reiku, the King has a quest for you" Penensio says as he enters the room. Reiku walks over, gets a piece of paper from him and looks at it.

"Okay then, class you're all dismissed. You may stay here and spar if you'd like, but make sure you get your things from your locker first." Camilla and Penensio leave the room and some students start heading toward the lockers. Rena runs off to… some place and Reiku walks over to us.

"Yo, up for a quest you four?" he asks.

"A knight quest? Aren't you supposed to complete them with your fellow knights?" Chung asks. Reiku nods.

"That's true, but this one is too easy for me. Besides, I'm interested in seeing what y'all can do. So, what do ya say?"

"I'll go!" Both Aisha and Ara say.

"I guess. This'll give me a chance to test out my new abilities" Chung replies. Reiku then looks at me.

"Well Elsword. How about you?" he asks.

"Count me in. It does sound fun" I reply. He smiles.

"Fun huh? You got the right idea. Now, go get your things from your locker and go take it to your dorm. I'll wait for you all at the school gate." He leaves and we all do as he says. Heh… This is great actually. Now I can use this quest as training.

~School gate~

I make it to the school gate to see Aisha and Ara already there with Reiku, who's making snowflakes in the air. Chung walks up on the side of me with his cannon and armor on.

"Are we all set?" Reiku asks as the snowflakes disappear. We all nod. "Alright, let's head out." At that moment, we all hear someone scream "Wait!" Reiku is the first to turn around. A girl with black hair and moonlight blue eyes, like Reiku, runs up and goes to Reiku, glomping him. O… kay?

"You planned on leaving without me, didn't you?" she asks.

"Duh, why do you think we started walking away?"

"Still cold-hearted, eh big bro? Oh well, I'm still coming." She lets go and stands up. Reiku gets up while sighing.

"Have you learned to completely control your magic?" She nods. "Fine, I'll take you this time then." He looks over at us to see our confused faces. "Right… I should explain. Guys, this is my sister Yuki. Yuki, this is Elsword, Chung, Ara and Aisha. You can get to know them as we head to our destination."

"Hiya everyone. I hope my big bro isn't giving y'all the cold shoulder." Reiku sighs and walks forward. We all follow.

**_Whew, a new chapter. And I added my OC :o. I'll have his bio up sooner or later. Right now though, gotta work on the next chapter._**

**_To Be Continued in part 2_**


	11. Chapter 8 part 2

**_Chapter eight part 2: The Battle for the Gate_**

~Southern Gate~

We've reached the Southern Gate, a gate in Velder which the demons have managed to somehow take over. "According to the King, Velder has sent a distress call because of this. Their soldiers can't handle the glitters here. The one leading this is the dark elf known as Chloe. We take her down, we finish this quest" Reiku explains. Everyone nods and gets ready. He points forward and we rush at the glitters. The first one I see, I knock it into the air, throw a rune at it and make it explode, causing the glitter to fall down lifelessly. I look up to see Chung shoot a bullet at a group of glitters and it begins hitting all of them, back and forth. He then puts his cannon on his shoulder and shoots a missile the knocks them all away. Yuki freezes the remaining glitters and we keep moving upward. "Wait a sec."

We hear laughter from the glitter assassin known as Stealthy Morfos as well as some dark elves. Ara runs forward. "Tempest Dance." She spins forward, striking the dark elves with her spear. She ends with knocking them back at Morfos, who stops laughing and runs at Ara. She puts her spear up to block what he's about to do. He stops and gets into a stance. He dashes forward quickly at Ara, who still has her spear up. Wait, he's gonna slash through her! As he gets close to her, an ice wall appears in front of her, blocking the attack. It shatters and Reiku appears with Morfos on the ground. Wait, wasn't he just behind us? "When did you…"

"Big bro's skilled in teleportation. He's so fast, you won't even see it!" Yuki says. He looks at the big glitter walking toward us with what looks like a shield face. Ice spikes appear around Reiku, pointing toward the glitter. Two fly into the air while the rest attack the shield. After five of them attack the shield, it flinches and the two that flew into the air stab it in the back, causing it to fall down.

"Let's get a move on, this is going too slow" he says and he continues forward. We nod and follow once more.

After going forward a bit, more dark elves show up. "Guys, get back" Yuki says. We all step back. Her wand starts floating as the dark elves close in on her. "Blizzard Shower!" She grabs her wand, swings it downward and ice crystals fall down, freezing the elves. She teleports away from them and points her finger at them.

Reiku dashes through the frozen elves. He stops as he reaches Yuki. "Break." The ice crystals shatter and the dark elves fall. That was… whoa.

"Not too shabby big bro." Reiku keeps walking while Yuki giggles and follows. Man these two are strong. We all stop once there's a large thud up ahead. We run up to see a giant shield-faced demon.

"I got a plan guys. Follow my lead" I say. If I'm right, we can throw if off guard and take it out by its back. Reiku and Yuki sit down on the edge of the gate, guessing they're curious about what I have planned. Well, time to show it off. I run forward with Aisha and Ara behind me. The shield-faced demon swings its mace down, which I side step and dodge it. "Ara, hop over it." Ara runs up, steps on my shoulder and hops over. Surprisingly enough, it didn't hurt. It then pushes its shield forward at me. I put my sword up to block it, yet I'm still pushed back a bit. "I got it distracted. Aisha, your turn." Aisha simply teleports behind it. "Luna Blade!" A giant blue sword appears above me and impales its shield, making it flinch. I look at Ara and Aisha to see them nod at each other.

"Wind Wedge!" Ara shouts as she does a barrage of spear thrusts at the demon's back. She stops at the last hit and Aisha steps up.

"Super Nova!" Aisha yells as she waves her wand then points it at the demon. The tip of her wand lights up then purple energy releases, forming in a round shape which completely engulfs the demon till it completely disintegrates. Heh, we did pretty well. Reiku walks by, not saying a word with Yuki behind him clapping. Did we not do up to his expectations?

Soon after a countless amount of battles, we managed to take down McGard along with his cockatrigle Polka as well as pyromaniac alchemist Joaquin. What stood in front of us now was a trail of stairs leading to the top part of the gate. We move onward, running up the stairs. It's oddly quiet right now. I look over my shoulder and see the dark elf Chloe. "It's you again" I say. She raises her hand and a seal appears under her. After two seconds or so, it disappears and she smirks.

"Drown in despair you worthless humans" she replies coldly as she jumps away. She's gone once again. The ground starts to shake. What's going on?

"Don't worry you guys. This'll be easy" Reiku says. Easy for him to say. He has to do things like this all the time. A giant hand grabs a tower close to us. Another hand is placed on the actual gate. The monster climbs up and shows its ugly face.

**_To Be Continued in part 3_**


	12. Chapter 8 part 3

**_Chapter eight part 3: What Just Happened?_**

"J-just what is that thing?!" Aisha asks.

"This is the legendary Dark Nephilim. It's the patron God to the dark elves. Nothing to worry about though" Reiku says as I look at him to see a smirk on his face. "See those switches behind us?" We look back to see some switches lined up in different spots along the gate. "Those are switches to giant walls that were built into the gate. If we can lead Nephilim to it and hit the switch, we can knock him out and deal with him quickly." It started walking toward us. "Remember the plan." We run toward the switch, leading him toward us.

"Guys, when it falls down I want you all to stand back. I'm going to launch an artillery strike" Chung says. We nod and wait for Nephilim to get close. I hit the switch and the giant wall comes up. It breaks seconds later, making us jump back, and Nephilim falls. "Artillery Strike!" Chung yells as he aims his cannon up. Many missiles come out, all falling on Nephilim. Once all of the missiles stopped, we charge in at his head.

"Energy Spurt!" Aisha yells as the purple aura surrounds her then shoots out.

"Chain Burst!" Yuki shouts as she shoots out ice balls.

"Luna Blade!" I yell as the giant blue sword appears and strikes Nephilim's head. It starts getting up and we get back.

Once it's up, it lifts up its hands. "Jump!" Reiku yells. We jump as its hands hit the ground, causing a purple shockwave to appear. It then opens up what looks to be a mouth and I see a bright purple light. Damn, don't think we can dodge this one. It shoots out fast and I close my eye, waiting for it to hit, but it doesn't. I land, almost falling, and open my eye to see Reiku with an ice wall up. "You're awfully stubborn. Just lie down and die!" The ice wall shifts and wraps around Nephilim. It moves side to side then tips over. "Saihyō-sen." The ice shatters and all of the mini ice crystals then pierce Nephilim, who roars out of pain. That did look like it hurt a lot though. Blood pours out of its body. "And that's the end of that. There is, however, a problem. He and his pet are watching us."

What does he mean by that? Who's watching us? "Well, I can't believe you found me so quickly" a dark, familiar voice says. I start to frown and glare at the direction of the voice, behind us. Valak has showed up once again. "No wonder you're elite, Reiku." Reiku summons his sword.

"And what business do I owe you on this fine and lovely night?" It seems like they know each other, but how?

"You know him Reiku?" Aisha asks. Reiku nods then smirks.

"He thinks of me as a substitute for his death battle buddy, Edan. Ever since he disappeared, notice how Valak's been committing more and more crimes?" I nod. "You now know why. He has a soft spot for his buddy Edan." The demon with all the spikes appears beside Valak along with another one that's blue in some parts. "Yuki and Elsword, take on the ice one. Aisha, Ara and Chung, you three got the other one. I'll take Valak."

"No, I'll take Valak" I say. Reiku looks back at me confused. "Don't worry; I got a lot of experience with fighting him. We also have some unfinished business." He now gives a smile.

"I'll provide you backup after I'm finished. Yuki, provide the others with help." Everyone nods then the five go after the two spiked demons. I glare at Valak, who smirks at me.

"How's that eye of yours? Feeling the darkness yet?" he asks.

"Shut up! This damn eye has caused nothing but trouble for me!" I run at him, sword ready. I swing my sword at Valak, who dodges and goes for a counter attack. I dodge by rolling past him, putting my sword out and hitting his leg, then swinging my sword fast with the third swing sending him sliding forward. He laughs as he quickly gets up and turns toward me, as though that was a warm up.

"My turn" he says as he runs at me. I concentrate and a blue aura surrounds me, Vitality mode. Valak swings his sword twice, both of them missing. He then lifts up his Nasod arm and tries to hit me. I jump into the air, dodging the arm, plant my hand on his shoulder, putting a rune on him, and kick him in the back. He flinches as I land and snap my fingers, causing the rune to explode. I then pull my left hand back.

"Luna Blade!" I shout as the giant blue sword appears, striking Valak in the back. He falls down. That's one down. I look over at the other five. Reiku has the ice spiked demon on the ground with a huge hole in its chest. The others are standing over a crater with something black in it, guessing the other spiked demon.

"I see you have improved" the voice behind me says. I turn around to see Valak now on his feet. I growl and prepare myself. "Why worry about me when your friends are in trouble too?" I turn to see… more Valaks? But isn't he behind me? "Clones. A new technique I learned after our last visit." Damn it, this isn't looking good right about now. Two hands grab my arms. I look back and see that it's one of those clones. I shake to try and get free, but he won't let go. "This is the end, Elsword." He raises his sword. No, it can't end like this! Ice appears on Valak's arm. He looks at it, confused as more ice forms on him and covers him up completely except his head. The hands on my arms let go.

"Sorry I took long. Had to make sure the others were fine" Reiku says as he smirks at Valak. Valak growls.

"You pesky little brat." The ice shatters and Valak disappears. I look around then I see him in front of Reiku. He grabs Reiku's face with his Nasod arm and slams him on the ground. Then he picks him up and stabs him directly in the chest. Last, he throws him to the side like trash. Ara runs toward him, but Yuki holds out her hand and stops her.

"Big bro's strong. Something like that won't stop him" Yuki says with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"If that's the case, let's deal with him first then tend to Reiku's wounds" Aisha says. Valak laughs.

"Deal with me? You must be joking" Valak says as he lifts up his Nasod arm. He then points it toward Chung, who holds up his cannon. "Charged Bolt!" Valak throws small black spheres at Chung. What the hell? The small black spheres expand with spikes, missing his head but piercing his armor. Chung's eyes widen as he's hit then falls back. "Bloody Thorns."

"Chung!" Ara shouts. She then growls and runs toward Valak along with Aisha. They fiercely try and attack him, but he keeps dodging. Aisha jumps into the air.

"Energy Spu-"she goes to say, but is cut off once Valak turns and grabs her. He shifts so that Aisha is facing Ara. Ara swings and cuts Aisha down the left shoulder, who screams in pain.

"On no! I-I'm so sorry Aisha! I-I didn't mean to-"Ara tries telling Aisha but Valak punches her in the stomach. Her eyes widen as she stumbles back. Valak pushes Aisha into Ara, which makes them both fall down. He then turns to me and Yuki.

"Still think you can deal with me?" he says as he runs at us. He goes to strike me first, but I block him. Yuki backs up and gets some distance away from us. He continues striking, faster and faster each time. My sword slips out of my hand and I fall back. As I fall, I try to throw a rune at him, but his Nasod arm breaks through my rune and hits my face. I'm sent sliding backwards. Ow, that really hurt. I lift my body up, struggling as I use the side of the gate for support. I look forward to see Valak and Yuki going at it.

Yuki jumps into the air as Valak tries to hit her. "Blizzard Shower!" she shouts as ice crystals fall from the sky toward Valak. He manages to dodge all of them. She lands and Valak quickly gets into a stance.

"Wild Charge!" He dashes at Yuki with immense speed. She does a spin just as they seem to connect. He stops as he looks around for her. Yuki appears behind him.

She points the tip of her staff toward him. "Lightning Bolt!" Lightning is released from her staff. It covers up what seems to be his body. She then jumps back. Valak appears behind.

"You almost gave me the satisfaction like fighting you brother. However, it's over now little girl." He points his sword at her. She turns around, fear in her eyes. Oh no! I run toward them, almost falling but keeping up. Valak pulls his sword back then directs it at Yuki, who shuts her eyes. Reiku appears in front of her, taking the stab to the chest and glinting his teeth.

"Don't you EVER try touching my sister!" he shouts. Valak jumps back with a smirk on his face. Reiku summons his sword back.

"Finally done playing dead I see." Reiku doesn't respond. He only points his sword at Valak.

"No need to hold back now." Reiku's eyes begin to light up, giving it a light blue glow. Ice starts surrounding his feet as a cold wind blows by. His sword gets sharper on the sides. "Don't blink Valak…" Quickly, he disappears and appears behind Valak. "…Because you might just miss me." I hear a loud crack as I see Valak jump away from Reiku. I see it now; Valak's armor was what made the noise. "My next attack is going to cut through your right shoulder. You might want to protect it or else blood will be drawn." Reiku disappears again, this time appearing in front of Valak. Valak flinches and there is another crack, now with the sound of blood hitting the ground. I see Reiku's sword with blood on it and Valak holding his shoulder with his Nasod arm.

"Y-you little…" Valak jumps back from Reiku. "I'm sick of this game now. It's time you all died. Infernal A-"A missile hits Valak directly in the back, causing him to fall down. I see Chung, kneeing down with his cannon on his shoulder. "…You're all are so bothersome." Valak uses his sword to stand up and slashes the air. A portal appears. "We'll meet again soon." He walks into the portal and disappears. I walk over Reiku and look at his wound. Before I'm able to talk, he walks over to Ara and Aisha. Reiku pulls Ara up then picks Aisha up bridal style.

"Let's head back. She shouldn't have to lose any more blood." Ara looks down in guilt.

"What about you?" I ask. He shrugs.

"I'm fine. The safety of you all comes first." He walks off and we follow.

~School gate~

Reiku starts stumbling as we reach the gate. That stab must have taken a lot out of him. "Reiku, I can take Aisha if you want" I say.

"Don't worry, I'm fine Elsword" he responds. "Just a bit tired from suddenly activating my powers is all. Nothing major." He walks slower and slower and then falls with Aisha rolling off his arms.

"Reiku!" Yuki shouts. She runs over to him as well as me and Chung. Ara runs toward the school.

"I'll go get the nurses" she says. I look at Reiku to see blood under him. I guess his wound leaked out. I pull his left arm around my neck and pull him up. Chung does the same with his right arm. Yuki pulls Aisha up and we start walking back to the school.

**_To Be Continued in chapter 9_**


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